At the heart of the book is the celebration and demystification of the act of science - the laying of nets and traps, animal wrangling, collection of samples and slow building on the sum of human understanding. In an age when respect for science is diminishing, it is a reminder that knowledge is hard-earned.

That "science" and "understanding"? The cause of "demystification" might be advanced if green publicists masquerading as journalists were a little more sceptical of those given to "overreach and self-contradiction".

The act of science? What a ridiculous phrase.The word has been devalued and grossly misrepresented by journalists whose aim must be more in the realm of propaganda than science. It has become a term more akin to liturgical dogma, and we who dare to disagree with climate alarmists can be labelled as deniers and unbelievers. What a farce.

He admits Flannery was out of his depth on climate as he's a palaeontologist, and a good one at that (it's said, and he well might be), though never is the question raised of what motivated a bone digger to take up the role of climate crusader. More gravy Mr Morton?

I don't listen to talk-back radio much, but did drop in and hear this morning on 2UE a deserving new way to measure old-fashioned inches of rain in a backyard rain gauge: you now do it in Flannerys. Six Flannerys or more fell overnight in some parts of Sydney. A miracle, of course.